Fintech PR

BeCause Closes Seed Round with Tail-End Investment From Curiosity VC

Published

9 months ago

February 22, 2024

The AI-focused Firm Brings BeCause’s Total Seed Funding to $2.5M to Support the Sustainability Data Technology Company’s Growth

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, has secured a $600,000 (€556K) tail-end investment from Dutch investor Curiosity VC to close their seed round. This latest investment brings the company’s total seed funding to $2.5 million (€2.32M), including the $1.9 million (€1.76M) seed raised in November from Denmark’s Ugly Duckling Ventures, Estonia’s Superangel.io and other investors.

“We reserved some space at the end of our round for a strategic investor to join on equal terms and are thrilled to have found that partner in Curiosity VC. As an AI-focused fund, Curiosity brings key competencies and an international network to the table that will prove invaluable to us as we continue to unfold how artificial intelligence can enable more sustainability-focused operations in hospitality and tourism and across our growing set of solutions,” says BeCause co-founder and CEO Frederik Steensgaard.

Mission-Driven Growth

Using BeCause, hotels can fully automate the collection, analysis, and communication of their sustainability efforts through a centralized hub, making it much easier for properties to qualify for industry certifications like GreenKey and ensure regulatory compliance based on local frameworks. BeCause dramatically reduces the cost of repetitive and manual tasks by up to 60%, compared to the error-prone processes still widely used within the industry to manage sustainability data. This increase in efficiency and trust significantly improves operational effectiveness.

Hotels also gain critical insights into the types of sustainability investments that might be most valuable for their business and the planet while enabling them to leverage the growing consumer demand for sustainability-focused accommodations. Simultaneously/Finally, the platform allows travel marketplaces, like Booking.com, to get real-time information from green certification labels about a hotel’s sustainability status, which they can use to help travelers and customers make informed choices about their travel plans.

BeCause currently has over 20,000 hotels worldwide streaming sustainability data via its platform and counts more than 50 certifiers and 15 travel booking marketplaces amongst its users.

“What attracted us to BeCause is that they have a clear goal and a true passion for the problem at hand. Their advanced AI capabilities further enhance their ability to drive innovation, address complex challenges, and revolutionize sustainability efforts across sectors. Looking at how far they’ve already come, their execution powers are undeniable,” says Herman Kienhuis, Managing Partner at Curiosity VC. “They have a solid growth strategy in place and are perfectly positioned to solve the needs of stakeholders in hospitality, acting not just as a compliance tool, but as a strategic asset that opens improvement opportunities and aligns the industry with the evolving priorities of a more environmentally aware society.”

The now-completed seed round will enable BeCause to push ahead with its solution developed to support the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), a pioneering regulation that strengthens the rules concerning ESG reporting for any company operating in the zone. Funding will also support the company’s accelerated growth rate to meet demand from global enterprise customers, such as Booking.com, easyJet, Google, Radisson Hotel Group, and other global marquee brands across the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.

“CSRD will transform how companies report on their sustainability. BeCause has a major role to play in ensuring hotels and tourism companies can seamlessly communicate their impact on people and the environment to their investors, governments, and the world,” Steensgaard adds. “We are grateful to our VC partners for believing in our vision and enabling us to meet the diverse needs of all our clients. Now it’s time to accelerate the future of sustainable tourism and hospitality.”

For more information about BeCause or to speak with CEO and Co-founder Frederik Steensgaard, please contact Vanessa Horwell at [email protected].

About BeCause
BeCause is an enterprise software company that streamlines the flow of sustainability data and creates synergies between different stakeholders in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries, empowering them to make decisions that result in positive, responsible change for people, the planet, and their profits. BeCause works with over 20,000 hotels, including brands like Radisson, certification entities like GreenKey, industry partners like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and marketplaces like Booking.com. For more information, visit because.eco.

About Curiosity
Curiosity is an Amsterdam-based venture capital fund focused on early-stage investments in ambitious, diverse teams based in the Benelux, Nordics, and Baltics. The fund invests in AI-first software companies that create value for businesses and society. Curiosity is led by two experienced operator-investors, Herman Kienhuis and Maurice Beckand Verwee, supported by a community of expert advisors and portfolio company founders who all become co-owners of the fund. For more information, visit https://www.curiosityvc.com or email: [email protected].

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/because-closes-seed-round-with-tail-end-investment-from-curiosity-vc-302068266.html

Fintech PR

Protecht launches advanced controls management solution

Published

6 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

SYDNEY, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Protecht Group, a global leader in enterprise risk management solutions, has released its innovative controls management solution. This cutting-edge tool empowers organizations to design, implement, and maintain a robust controls framework, streamlining compliance and enhancing operational efficiency.

Protecht’s controls management solution addresses the challenges faced by risk and compliance leaders in managing controls across complex regulatory environments. By integrating controls management into the organization’s broader ERM framework, the solution provides a centralized approach to mitigate risks, achieve compliance, and enable organizations to focus on strategic growth.

As organizations face increasing regulatory pressures, the need for a unified, efficient approach to controls management has never been greater. Many businesses struggle with fragmented processes, duplicated efforts across frameworks, and limited visibility into controls effectiveness. Protecht’s controls management solution simplifies these complexities by providing a single source of truth for controls assurance activities.

Key features of Protecht’s controls management solution

Centralized controls library: Offers a single repository for all control data, tailored to align with organizational needs and regulatory frameworks.
Simplified control testing: Streamlines the testing process with pre-built templates, automated scheduling, and real-time tracking of progress and results.
Framework library: Enables seamless mapping between controls and multiple regulatory standards to eliminate redundancies and simplify compliance efforts.
Advanced reporting and dashboards: Provides real-time insights into control effectiveness and areas requiring improvement, ensuring confidence in decision-making and risk management strategies.

“Protecht’s Controls Management solution simplifies the way organizations handle compliance and risk assurance,” says Damien Stevens, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at Protecht. “By integrating controls into the broader enterprise risk framework, we provide our customers with the tools they need to mitigate risks, optimize efficiency, and align their control environments with their strategic objectives.”

Supporting resources

To help organizations maximize the benefits of the new solution, Protecht offers a range of resources, including:

Live webinars showcasing the solution’s capabilities for risk and IT professionals alike
Product tours showing how the solution lets you solve specific controls-related problems
A comprehensive eBook on building effective controls frameworks
Opportunities to book a demo and see the solution in action

Find out more and download a brochure at www.protechtgroup.com/solutions/controls-management

About Protecht Group

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in London and Los Angeles, Protecht Group provides innovative risk management solutions, including the Protecht ERM platform. Trusted by organizations across government, financial services, education, and other industries, Protecht empowers businesses to manage risk holistically, transitioning from spreadsheets and manual processes to efficient, integrated systems.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/protecht-launches-advanced-controls-management-solution-302315104.html

Fintech PR

Robert Rahman Joins Dinosaur Group Holdings to Head its New Global Corporate Credit Securities Market Unit in the US, Europe & Asia

Published

7 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

robert-rahman-joins-dinosaur-group-holdings-to-head-its-new-global-corporate-credit-securities-market-unit-in-the-us,-europe-&-asia

NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dinosaur Financial Group LLC. (DFG), a New York based Investment Firm and Dinosaur Merchant Bank Ltd. (DMBL), a London based Institutional Brokerage announced the joining of Robert Rahman as the Global Head of the newly created Global Corporate Credit Securities (GCCS) unit.

Dinosaur Group’s new GCCS initiative seeks to provide clients with an alternative to the bulge bracket that will not compete with clients and seeks to offer those clients, a partner that can deliver reliable and trustworthy execution capabilities in a difficult liquidity backdrop. Robert’s new unit will complement the firm’s existing global footprint in Fixed Income.

Robert will oversee the sales, trading, and research business globally for Corporate Investment Grade, High Yield, Distressed, Stressed, Special Situations, Levered Loans, Re-Org Equities, Trade Claims, Private Credit and Converts within the GCCS unit.

Before Dinosaur, he was the Head of High Yield, Distressed and Loans within the capital markets division of Oppenheimer and Co (OPY) where he worked for the last 16 years. He has also been a senior member of Morgan Stanley’s High Yield sales team and has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of Institutional Credit. Robert started his career as a Credit Analyst within Salmon Brothers revered “Corporate Bond Research” team and at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette’s “Leveraged Finance Research” team.

Announcing his appointment, Glenn Grossman, CEO, Dinosaur Group said, “Robert’s deep client and issuer relationships along with his previous success in leading and building global credit teams will help the group to provide institutional clients with an additional liquidity platform for one stop credit trading across the world. We are very excited to see the new business grow under his leadership.”

Elliot Grossman, Managing Director added, “With Robert’s leadership, the group seeks to help institutional investors by providing capital to help facilitate trades versus being another riskless agency credit shop.”

Speaking about joining the Dinosaur group and his plans for the new business, Robert said, “I was attracted to the group given its established track record of providing client solutions in Fixed Income, globally for the past 25 years. My focus will be to provide institutional investors with an enhanced global liquidity platform for the US, European and Asian markets. I look forward to building this business at DFG.”

He also stated, “Sourcing trading block paper is nuanced and requires deep and long-standing client relationships from the trader, analyst, PM and CIO level. The new team will look to gain Fixed Income clients’ trust, add value and provide liquidity while so many competitors retrench.”

About Dinosaur Group Holdings

Dinosaur Group Holdings (DGH) is the holding company for Dinosaur Financial Group LLC. (DFG), an investment firm registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC, Dinosaur Merchant Bank Ltd. (regulated by the FCA) and New York-based SEC-registered investment firm DCM Advisors, LLC.

Deploying a team of approximately 150 professionals, the overall organization provides global execution services, financing and advisory expertise/insights for equities, fixed income, commodities and derivatives, investment management as well as a suite of investment banking services providing financial solutions and capital markets execution to the middle market client base, both domestically and globally. Clients and counterparties spanning six continents are primarily institutions, family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and corporations. Dinosaur Group takes pride in the business’ stable management, strong compliance, solid operations, and diverse talent.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/robert-rahman-joins-dinosaur-group-holdings-to-head-its-new-global-corporate-credit-securities-market-unit-in-the-us-europe–asia-302315687.html

Fintech PR

New GitLaw platform makes creating legal documents free and fast

Published

8 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

BIRMINGHAM, England, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Each year 32% of small businesses experience a legal issue but only 25% of these are able to access professional help. Of those who did engage lawyers, many had to draw on personal savings just to meet fees. The current legal system is unaffordable with the balance tipped against those without vast financial resources.

GitLaw.co, launching this week, is looking to change that. GitLaw has published hundreds of legal document templates which are entirely free to download or customize through its platform. GitLaw is built by a group of tech entrepreneurs including Nick Holzherr who previously founded Whisk.com, a software platform acquired by Samsung in 2019.

GitLaw’s name is inspired by Git technology and open source software development. This collaborative model allows legal documents to be freely available to use, modify or share, with complete version history transparency. GitLaw’s vision is to create a collaborative open source community for legal documents. GitLaw’s specialized features help users efficiently customize and finalize legal templates. Users can submit templates as well as suggest changes to existing documents, resulting in free community-driven standards for legal documents.

The service is initially targeted at small businesses in the US and UK. “As a startup founder I have first hand experience of having to navigate legal battles without budgets for lawyers and I wish I’d had something like GitLaw – a reliable repository of free legal documents” said Nick Holzherr, one of the founders of GitLaw. “We already have 300 documents that cover key contract types like NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements), Employment Agreements and Privacy Policies, and we hope the community will continue to provide more documents”. Most of the documents on GitLaw today are created and contributed by reputable law firms, lawyers, investors and organizations.

While the platform targets the 400m global small businesses first, the company has a mission to bring GitLaw to wider audiences. “In the medium term I hope we’ll be able to cover a lot more areas of law like civil law.
Longer term, I can envision GitLaw being used to support the creation of national laws, enabling citizens to contribute, provide feedback, and transparently track every change made to their legislation.” said Holzherr.

GitLaw is free to use and available at www.gitlaw.co

Pictures available at https://gitlaw.co/press

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-gitlaw-platform-makes-creating-legal-documents-free-and-fast-302315630.html